The present invention generally relates to an arrangement for connecting individual components of a gripper rail system, and more particularly to an arrangement for significantly simplying the construction of end areas of individual components of the gripper rail system to be connected.
The gripper rails of a transfer press typically include a plurality of gripper rail parts which are connected to one another. The gripper rail parts located in the area of the press frame remain in the press. The gripper rail parts which carry the gripping devices, however, are changed when the transfer press is set up for working another workpiece.
For transfer of the workpieces to the working stages during press operation, the gripper rail parts must be connected with one another to form the complete gripper rails.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,808 shows gripper rail parts with stepped end areas. The separating point between the abutting end areas is bridged by a connection piece which is constructed corresponding to the shape of the end areas. The type of clamping of the gripper rail parts with respect to one another is not shown.
German Gebrauchsmunster (DE-GM) No. 82 02 432 shows correspondingly shaped end areas of gripper rail parts which rest on one another during operation and are clamped with respect to one another by screw devices.
In German Patent Specification No. 31 50 508, a separating gap between gripper rail parts is bridged by a gripper rail lock which can be folded open and which is foldably mounted at the gripper rail part remaining in press. The connection of the gripper rail parts among one another takes place utilizing screw devices.
German Patent Application Ser. No. 32 35 308 shows an adjusting device for the coupling and uncoupling which is inserted into a gripper rail part. This adjusting device is used for the securing of the form closure formed by correspondingly shaped end areas of the gripper rail parts, after the joining.
In the arrangement according to German Patent Application Ser. No. 35 20 343, a separating gap is formed between the gripper rail parts. This separating gap must be filled by thrust pieces before the gripper rail parts are clamped with respect to one another. The insertion of the thrust pieces into the separating gap and the subsequent clamping of the gripper rail parts with respect to one another is achieved utilizing an adjusting device which is fastened in the end area of a gripper rail part. The adjusting device has a clamp bolt which moves the thrust pieces and can be placed, by a clamping head, behind a clamping surface in the gripper rail part to the clamped and can be locked by being pulled back.
In addition, arrangements for the coupling and uncoupling of gripper rail parts of a transfer press are disclosed by German Patent Application Ser. No. 36 36 010 and German Patent Application Ser. No. 36 36 011. The clamping devices which are required for this purpose are arranged in the end areas of the gripper rail parts. In this case, a bridge part is guided along with the clamp bolt to which two centering bolts are fastened for the centering of the gripper rail parts with respect to one another, and at which a guide bolt is also carried along for the shifting of a movable carriage at the external form of the gripper rail part accommodating the clamping element.
Each of the arrangements of the above-noted documents require that the gripper rail parts consist of several parts at the end areas. The mounting of an individual part must take place directly at the end areas of the gripper rail parts and, in addition, considerable cutting is required as well as welding operations at the gripper rail parts during the preassembly and assembly.
In contrast, it is an object of the present invention to integrate the elements for the coupling and uncoupling of gripper rail parts into a constructional unit, in order to significantly simplify the construction of the end areas of the gripper rail parts to be connected and thus the working of the end areas and the mounting arrangement at the connection site.
The constructional unit, as a whole, can be advantageously preassembled, stored and transported and can be fixed at the gripper rail parts as a completely assembled part, and forms the coupling plane which is required for an operating condition wherein the gripper rail components are changed simultaneously with a tool change of the press.
According to one embodiment of the present, all clamping devices are advantageously surrounded by a separable housing to form the constructional unit which, as a whole, is readily assembled for installation and as such can also be exchanged with a replacement.
The cross-sectional dimensions of the constructional unit advantageously correspond to the cross-sectional dimensions of the end areas of the gripper rail parts to be connected so that only components project beyond the connection which are required for a different use. The constructional unit can also be used in gripper rails having gripper rail parts made of flat rail material. Existing gripper rails, even those with a different coupling construction, can be advantageously retrofitted. Further the constructional unit may be used for gripper rail parts, in which partition lines are required at the coupling planes, but particularly also for gripper rail systems which have no partition lines, in which the gripper rail parts must be coupled by a flange-type pressing on one another of the front faces at the end areas of gripper rail parts to be connected.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.